Girl, 12, leads police on 20-minute chase

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Police in North Carolina said a 12-year-old girl stole a parked truck and led officers on a 20-minute chase that reached speeds of 70 miles per hour.

Investigators said the girl, whose name was not released, got into a fight with her father Monday at their Gaffney, S.C., home and left after he fell asleep on the couch, WSOC-TV, Charlotte, N.C., reported Wednesday.

The girl apparently walked to the Veterans of Foreign Wars center about a quarter mile from her home and stole a truck from the parking lot. The girl drive through South Carolina back roads before being spotted by police in Charlotte, who thought she was a drunk driver.

Police said the girl drove through uptown Charlotte before getting back on Interstate 77. They said the chase reached speeds of 70 mph before slowing down enough that police vehicles were able to surround her.

The girl is facing multiple charges.

The owner of the truck said the vehicle had been parked at the VFW for about two weeks after it broke down. He said he does not know how the girl managed to start the vehicle.